Space Sim FTL Begins its Perilous Mission on iPad

FTL is one of the most addictive space faring simulation games you can play right now, and it has just crossed over from PC to iPad. In FTL you are the captain of a ship with an important mission. You must reach Galactic Federation HQ, but there are hostile aliens, vicious rebels, and dangerous star systems in your path.

FTL is one of the most addictive space faring simulation games you can play right now, and it has just crossed over from PC to iPad. In FTL you are the captain of a ship with an important mission. You must reach Galactic Federation HQ, but there are hostile aliens, vicious rebels, and dangerous star systems in your path.

While FTL is not lacking in substance, it has a stripped down aesthetic. You aren't flying your ship around in swooping paths to get the enemy in your sights—battles consist of managing your ship's systems to mitigate damage as you try to take out the enemy before you yourself are taken out. You can pause at any time in combat at make changes to your ship's systems or issue orders to crew. This required a lot of clicking on the desktop, but it's actually a little easier with a touchscreen.

By playing the game you'll unlock more powerful ships, components, and weapons. All the better to survive the perils that await you among the stars. Speaking of those perils—you're probably going to die a lot. That's not awful, though. FTL is easy to get into and each play-through comes with its own randomly generated galaxy to explore. If you've ever played Star Command or Out There, these titles both borrow elements from FTL.

FTL has clean, somewhat retro graphics and interesting ship design. Performance on the iPad (v2 or later) very good. This game comes with all the content that's currently available in the desktop version of the game, including the new Advanced Edition. The price is a bit high at $9.99, but that's what the desktop game costs, and this is essentially the same content. FTL on the iPad is a solid experience, and one you should consider checking out.

About the Author

Ryan Whitwam is a freelance tech/science writer and fan of all things electronic. This long-time skeptic and former research scientist is a lover of the em dash and a defender of the Oxford comma. He also writes for Geek.com and ExtremeTech.
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